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authorG. Branden Robinson <g.branden.robinson@gmail.com>2023-05-01 05:49:22 -0500
committerG. Branden Robinson <g.branden.robinson@gmail.com>2023-05-01 14:03:30 -0500
commit362f9ddc9f4a2f6178477e8d733fa75c81582376 (patch)
tree903864343078818b419cbb2f4d61fbb46f652c3e
parentc5cb7962184d7f735724d176884a049582e58361 (diff)
downloadgroff-git-362f9ddc9f4a2f6178477e8d733fa75c81582376.tar.gz
[docs]: Revise discussion of debugging.
* Describe backtracing less circularly. * Use active voice more. * Drop this section's introductory paragraph from groff(7), which doesn't require it, being more of a reference. * Wrap long input line. * Bump document date.
-rw-r--r--doc/groff.texi28
-rw-r--r--man/groff.7.man26
2 files changed, 24 insertions, 30 deletions
diff --git a/doc/groff.texi b/doc/groff.texi
index 1ed08803f..bc4bcd084 100644
--- a/doc/groff.texi
+++ b/doc/groff.texi
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ Documentation License''.
@title groff
@subtitle The GNU implementation of @code{troff}
@subtitle Edition 1.23.0
-@subtitle April 2023
+@subtitle May 2023
@author Trent@tie{}A.@: Fisher
@author Werner Lemberg
@author G.@tie{}Branden Robinson
@@ -16477,23 +16477,25 @@ front of it until it works and if you still have problems add a \c.}
@end flushright
GNU @code{troff} is not the easiest language to debug, in part thanks to
-its design features of recursive interpolation and the use of multi-stage
-pipeline processing in the surrounding system. Nevertheless there exist
-several features useful for troubleshooting.
+its design features of recursive interpolation and the use of
+multi-stage pipeline processing in the surrounding system. Nevertheless
+there exist several features useful for troubleshooting.
Preprocessors use the @code{lf} request to preserve the identity of the
line numbers and names of input files. GNU @code{troff} emits a variety
of error diagnostics and supports several categories of warning; the
-output of these can be selectively suppressed. Backtraces can be
-enabled when errors or warnings occur, or triggered on demand. The
-@code{tm} and related requests can be used to emit customized diagnostic
-messages or for instrumentation while troubleshooting. The @code{ex}
-and @code{ab} requests cause early termination with successful and error
+output of these can be selectively suppressed. A trace of the
+formatter's input processing stack can be emitted when errors or
+warnings occur by means of GNU @code{troff}'s @option{-b} option, or
+produced on demand with the @code{backtrace} request. The @code{tm}
+and related requests can be used to emit customized diagnostic messages
+or for instrumentation while troubleshooting. The @code{ex} and
+@code{ab} requests cause early termination with successful and error
exit codes respectively, to halt further processing when continuing
-would be fruitless. The state of the formatter can be examined with
-requests that write lists of defined names (macros, strings, and
-diversions), environments, registers, and page location traps to the
-standard error stream.
+would be fruitless. Examine the state of the formatter with requests
+that write lists of defined names (macros, strings, and diversions),
+environments, registers, and page location traps to the standard error
+stream.
@c END Keep parallel with section "Debugging" of groff(7).
@Defreq {lf, line [@Var{filename}]}
diff --git a/man/groff.7.man b/man/groff.7.man
index af1ebbbb2..9d9ed70b2 100644
--- a/man/groff.7.man
+++ b/man/groff.7.man
@@ -7213,15 +7213,6 @@ set and test the enablement of this mode.
.\" ====================================================================
.
.\" BEGIN Keep (roughly) parallel with groff.texi node "Debugging".
-.I groff
-is not the easiest language to debug,
-in part thanks to its design features of recursive interpolation and the
-use of multi-stage pipeline processing in the surrounding system.
-.
-Nevertheless there exist several features useful for troubleshooting.
-.
-.
-.P
Preprocessors use the
.B .lf
request to preserve the identities of line numbers and names of input
@@ -7240,13 +7231,14 @@ and
options of
.MR @g@troff @MAN1EXT@ ).
.
-Backtraces can be automatically produced when errors or warnings occur
-(the
+A trace of the formatter's input processing stack can be emitted when
+errors or warnings occur by means of
+.MR @g@troff @MAN1EXT@ 's
.B \-b
-option of
-.MR @g@troff @MAN1EXT@ )
-or generated on demand
-.RB ( .backtrace ).
+option,
+or produced on demand with the
+.request .backtrace
+request.
.
.BR .tm ,
.BR .tmc ,
@@ -7262,8 +7254,8 @@ cause early termination with successful and error exit codes
respectively,
to halt further processing when continuing would be fruitless.
.
-The state of the formatter can be examined with requests that write
-lists of defined names\[em]macros,
+Examine the state of the formatter with requests that write lists of
+defined names\[em]macros,
strings,
and
.RB diversions\[em]( .pm );